What attracts you to a book?

Special Guest: Is It Ever Too Late? by Paula Vince

Have you ever left anything too late to fix? Have you found yourself
repeating, ‘If only’?

If only you’d acted differently or spoken up at an appropriate time,
you might have prevented something bad from happening, or at least been able to
salvage an unfortunate situation. However, now it seems too late. All you can
do is live with regret, because stirring up memories may make things worse.
Living with an unhealed wound has become a way of life for you, but you’re able
to cover it up so that others don’t see it. And for most of the time, you’re
able to ignore the pain and carry on.

That’s the position my heroine, Imogen Browne, finds herself in.
Regret has been her companion for year after year. She knows she certainly
can’t change the situation she was involved in. It’s easy for her to imagine
that some people she used to love may hate her memory, if they’re aware of her
full story.

One day, she knows she’s had enough. Her secret is tainting every
part of her life. She cannot rest until she at least tries to make amends, even
though it seems that anything she does will be futile at best, and a ridiculous
flop at worst. It also means she must leave her home in America to
return all the way to Australia,
where the event had taken place.

Sometimes it doesn’t matter how other people may treat us when they
find out, or how inconvenient returning to the scene may be. Any sacrifices and
costs involved are irrelevant, compared with the thought of having a clear conscience
at last. Being able to face our reflection in the mirror with respect means
everything. But will Imogen ever manage that, no matter how hard she tries?

What does she discover when she makes the move? That’s what my new
novel is all about. Imogen is in for some shocks. Others seem to be holding
onto secrets of their own, especially Asher, the one person she felt most
terrified to face. What if a lengthy lapse of time turns out to be a good thing
after all? She never expected to arrive just in time to offer the sort of help
nobody else can. Perhaps what she thought was too late turns out to be right on
time.

About the Book:

She has given herself a chance to fix her personal history.
But will old mistakes bring up new emotions?

Imogen Browne longs to make up for past mistakes before she
can move on. She quietly resolves to help the Dorazio family, whose lives she
accidentally upset. Her biggest challenge is Asher, the one person who may
never forgive her. And he is facing a crisis of his own. Imogen must tread very
carefully, as trying to fix things may well make them shatter.

A sensitive story about misplaced loyalty, celebrating life
and falling in love. Can family secrets concealed with the best intentions bear
the light of day?

Award-winning author, Paula Vince
loves to evoke tears and laughter through her novels. A wife and homeschooling
mother of three, she resides in the beautiful Adelaide Hills of South
Australia. Her youth was brightened by great fiction and she’s on a mission to
pay it forward.

Her novel, Picking up the Pieces,
won the religious fiction section of the 2011 International Book Awards.

Her novel, Best Forgotten, was
winner of the 2011 CALEB Award in the fiction category and also recognized as
the best overall entry for the year, chosen over memoirs, devotionals and
general non-fiction.

Paula’s books are a skillful
blend of drama and romance tied together with elements of mystery and suspense.

Hi Jeanette,Yes, I thought it was an interesting question to explore too. I'm sure most of us can probably relate to it in different ways. That's what I love about fiction. It gets many different people nodding together.

I think we've all hestitated at some point to do what we should, ignoring that small voice inside that prompts us to act to do something worthwhile, only to kick our selves for not having acted. Learning to listen to that voice and making the effort to take ourselves out of our own comfort zone and into action is a real reward though. The quote: nothing ventured, nothing gained, is certainly true, and when it comes to doing something for others, it is its own reward. I wish you all the best, Paula x

Hi Deirdre,I think you've pegged one of the main attitudes in this book completely. Both main characters have these moments of having to decide whether or not to heed the still small voice, for different reasons (which sometimes conflict with each other). I hope you get a chance to read it.